BA (Hons) Artist Blacksmithing

Discover a course that prides itself on challenging preconceptions about historical traditions of blacksmithing. This course places artist blacksmithing at the heart of contemporary craft practice.

Artist Blacksmithing is a material focussed programme with an emphasis on learning through doing. You will receive technical tuition as well as expert design guidance. You will explore the elemental processes of combining metal, fire, air and water to make original hot forged metal objects.

The course encourages innovative thinking and skilled making across a breadth of practice – from architectural design, to interior products and sculpture. You will become an independent thinker and self-motivated maker. Over 3 years you will be equipped with all the skills and knowledge you need to earn your living through your creativity.

HCA is an independent college that provides a friendly, supportive educational learning environment with a strong peer community, both within each course and between disciplines. As a degree student here, you will benefit from expert support and guidance to fully develop your creative potential.

You will develop technical skills with forged metal through both taught and self-directed projects. You will also learn to gather and analyse research material, then draw on this material and process it through different media as part of the design process.

Your intellectual engagement with your practice will be nourished through regular discussion groups and seminars. You will benefit from talks by visiting lecturers from industry. Our students have enjoyed talks from visiting lecturers such as: Jamie Price, David Tucker, Alan Dawson, Tobias Birgersson, Karl Hallburg, Prof. Heiner Zimmerman, Prof. Richard Smith, Francisco Gazitua and Peter Parkinson. You will be encouraged to articulate your ideas through written and visual presentations as well as verbally in one-to-one tutorials and peer groups.

Practice in Context, a cultural studies programme, underpins your intellectual development and teaches invaluable critical skills. It will help you set your practice within a historical framework, and learn to examine other makers’ products and practices in order to constructively evaluate your own work and methods.

Additionally, you will undertake projects that will guide you towards planning and promoting your own practice as a designer maker.

You’ll have timetabled access to the National School of Blacksmithing (at Herefordshire & Ludlow College’s Rural Crafts Centre) for training at the fires and forging your designs.

At HCA you will have access to well-equipped studio spaces with individual work spaces in the Artist Blacksmith studio. Our workshops are staffed by experts in their fields. Students are able to use a wide range of materials when exploring designs, make component samples and maquettes or use other materials to combine with forge components, including:

Artist Blacksmithing as a craft discipline boasts an exceptional international network of practitioners offering opportunities for sharing knowledge, support and collaboration between practitioners. The Artist Blacksmithing programme introduces students to this network in a number of ways, as well as featuring programmed credit-bearing professional work experience. Our students also organise their own additional placements and get involved in rewarding events together.

Each year since 2014 we have hosted a masterclass week led by an established blacksmith. This has presented exciting opportunities for all three year groups on the course to collaborate on a product designed by a smith of international renown and create it under their guidance.

The BA (Hons) students also participate in team events under the title ‘Hereford Anvils’ and frequently take part in annual or biannual events such as: the World Championships of Blacksmithing, Stia, Italy; Helfstyn, Czech Republic; Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine; BABA AGM, UK

Each year graduates have the chance to show their work to a wide audience through exhibiting at the HCA end of year show, Synthesis, as well as at a second venue, such as New Designers – a graduate showcase exhibition at Islington Business Design Centre, London.

Many graduates develop careers as self-employed practitioners – setting up design studios and workshops, and producing work ranging from large scale architectural forged metalwork to small gallery objects and utensils. Some use their skills to work for established smiths whilst continuing to evolve their own practice. Others gain experiences by becoming journeymen, working for smiths across the world. There are also possibilities to continue studying on a postgraduate programme, including HCA’s own Contemporary Craft MA.

HCA enjoys a close working relationship with HDK Steneby, Sweden and Southern Illinois University, USA – both of which offer programmes with an emphasis on forged metal. Our association with these programmes creates opportunities for student exchange and progression. A new Metal Art Academy website has been launched that celebrates the graduates of HCA, Southern Illinois University and HDK Steneby with the intention of strengthening relations, building networks and provide a resource that can be used by galleries, curators and commissioners.

Academic achievement – we would normally expect applicants to have achieved 80 UCAS Tariff Points at entry but, whilst qualifications are important, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We may make offers based on other evidence of talent and suitability for the course.

Applicants whose first language is not English – proof of IELTS overall score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections (reading, writing, listening & speaking) is required.

Applications from mature students with relevant experience will also be considered.

Recognition of Prior Learning Opportunities – the college welcomes applications from students with prior learning and/or previous experience. Further details on eligibility can be found on page 15 of our Admissions Policy.

Alternatively, please contact us at registry@hca.ac.uk and we can offer further advice on HCA and the UWTSD awarding body requirements.

““During my time at Hereford I learned much more than how to forge metal, I learned how to be an artist. It was here I found my direction and I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.”

“I came to HCA because I wanted to learn more about Artist Blacksmithing. I left with a degree that’s given me the skills and experience I need to turn my passion into a career.

“An idea is born, steel is struck, history is melted and the conversation is so hot” Roger Connah Guangzhou

on Artist Blacksmithing in We Live Both Ways: Metal Does That Too - ‘Forge’ exhibition catalogue 2017

“The time I spend on the Artist Blacksmithing Degree course changed my life. I found what I wanted to do and the amazing tutors helped me in every step of the journey. I wish I could go back and do it all again!” Leszek Sikon

I came to HCA because I wanted to learn more about Artist Blacksmithing. I left with a degree that’s given me the skills and experience I need to turn my passion into a career. Tom Nicolson

What you will study

You will start developing your practice through a series of taught projects with attention on creating a foundational working process. Studio and workshop projects encourage creative thinking, experimentation and the ability to articulate your ideas. An element of the metalworking tuition is learning technique and process through tool making – a remarkable aspect of blacksmithing, whereby you are able to make your own collection of tools for general and specialist processes.

Projects are designed so that you are advised and led but become increasingly independent, including live projects where you will respond to an actual set of circumstances working towards a ‘client’ brief, research-led projects and professional work experience activities.

You are expected to produce a coherent body of work for final exhibition in a professional, self-motivated manner with the continuing support of your course tutors. The professional and entrepreneurial skills you need for a sustaining practice are embedded in this module. You will engage in an extended research project specific to your interests that places your practice in context. You will also complete fully costed business plan, create a professional portfolio and develop an online digital presence.